Food Gathering Traditions

Unit: Māhia: From Past to Present

Lesson 5 of 12

45 Minutes | Year 13 | Class size: 10
Māori-medium history focus: Food gathering traditions and their connection to local environment

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand traditional Māori kai (food) gathering practices
• Discuss historical methods of kai collection
• Explain the relevance of kai gathering to the local environment and tikanga

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Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Describe at least three traditional Māori food gathering techniques
• Explain how these techniques were influenced by the local environment and ecosystems
• Share insights on the importance of sustainable food gathering linked to tikanga Māori
• Use appropriate te reo Māori vocabulary related to kai gathering

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Curriculum Alignment: Te Marautanga o Aotearoa

Learning Objectives and Standards

• Social Sciences / Iwi and Hapū History Strand:
  • Understand and analyse traditional Māori practices of food gathering
• Tikanga Māori Strand:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of tikanga around kai gathering (e.g., rāhui, kaitiakitanga)
• Whakapapa Strand:
  • Connect traditional knowledge to contemporary practices and environment
• Key Competencies:
  • Thinking: Analyse historical and environmental factors influencing practices
  • Using language, symbols and texts: Use te reo Māori accurately in context
  • Participating and contributing: Share ideas respectfully in group discussions

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Lesson Outline

Time	Activity	Description	Resources	Differentiation
5 min	Mihi and Wānanga Introduction	Begin with a pepeha or mihi, outline the WALT and success criteria, connect to local iwi and environment	Mihi script, whiteboard	Support with visual waiata or mihi prompt cards for ELL learners or those needing extra language scaffolding
10 min	Gallery Walk: Kai Gathering Methods	Around the classroom, photographs and artefacts (or prints) depict traditional methods - e.g., net fishing, berry picking, shellfish gathering on the beach, trapping birds	Photos/models of traditional tools, written captions with dual-language explanations	Dyslexia-friendly captions with simple language; use images and artefacts to support understanding
10 min	Group Discussion: Environmental Connection	Students in groups discuss how local environment shaped kai practices considering seasonality, native species, and tikanga like rāhui	Discussion prompts with guiding questions in te reo Māori and English	Allow varied participation roles (scribe, speaker, thinker) to accommodate diverse learners
10 min	Role Play: The Kai Gatherers	Role-play scenarios where students act as Māori food gatherers planning a safe and sustainable kai collection respecting local tikanga and environment	Scenario cards describing kai gathering situations and tikanga protocols	Extension: advanced learners create an additional role for a kaitiaki or tohunga giving advice; scaffolding for others with sentence stems
5 min	Reflection and Share	Students share one new thing learned and record it in their learning journals in te reo Māori and/or English	Journals or digital devices	Provide sentence starters and word banks; encourage bilingual recording for language development
5 min	Summary and Next Steps	Recap key points, explain how next lesson will build on this knowledge, preview homework or research task	Whiteboard notes	Provide dyslexia-friendly summary handout

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Teaching and Learning Strategies

• Explicit teaching: Introduce vocabulary and tikanga clearly with multiple representations (oral, visual, and written) to reduce cognitive load
• Use of te reo Māori: Embed key kai and environmental vocabulary in instruction and materials; support language development with visuals and sentence stems
• Collaborative learning: Small group discussions foster engagement and peer support in a culturally responsive way
• Contextualisation: Emphasise local iwi food gathering practices to connect to students’ identity and place
• Differentiation: Multimodal resources accommodate diverse learning styles and needs; language scaffolds assist ELL and dyslexic learners; role play provides kinaesthetic learning for advanced learners to deepen conceptual understanding

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Key Vocabulary (Te Reo Māori)

• Kai (food)
• Rāhui (temporary restriction for resource conservation)
• Kaitiakitanga (guardianship)
• Mātaitai (customary fishing area)
• Muka (flax fibre used for nets and bagging)
• Kohikohi (to gather or collect)
• Manu (bird)
• Kai moana (seafood)
• Rēhia (traps or snares)

Provide word cards combining te reo and English definitions, with pictorial cues for dyslexia support.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative through observation of group discussions and role plays
• Written/journal reflection in bilingual format to assess vocabulary understanding and conceptual insights
• Oral sharing to assess language use and connection to tikanga

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Research and present a local iwi or hapū’s specific food gathering rāhui and its outcomes
• Investigate changes in local ecosystems and how they have impacted traditional kai gathering
• Design an information pamphlet in te reo Māori about sustainable kai gathering practices based on tikanga

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Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Options

• Use simple sentence structures in captions and handouts
• Provide texts with clear font (e.g., Dyslexie, OpenDyslexic) and line spacing
• Include audio versions or read-aloud sessions
• Use colourful visuals and layouts to support decoding

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By following this plan, teachers will deliver an engaging, culturally grounded, and curricular-aligned lesson on Māori food gathering traditions, nurturing students' understanding of history, environment, and tikanga through meaningful interactions and varied learning modalities.

If you would like, I can also create supplementary materials such as vocabulary cards or discussion prompts in te reo Māori to support this lesson.

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References:

• Te Marautanga o Aotearoa principles and key competencies
• Explicit teaching and scaffolding from Te Mātaiaho pedagogical guidance